Actress meets feds investigating nude photo Gmail hack

Leery hacking ring targets Hollywood celebs

Actress Vanessa Hudgens has met with federal investigators who are probing a reported hack of her personal Gmail account. The hack led to the online distribution of nude photos and videos of the High School Musical star.

The 22-year-old is among 50 celebrities that have fallen victim to a gang of hackers targeting titillating photos and data from the personal accounts of actresses and musicians. The gang is alleged to have swiped nude photos from the iPhone of Scarlett Johansson, among other hijinks, celeb news website TMZ reports.

The hacking group is suspected of touting various risque photos and videos of celebs for sale. However their prime motivation seems to be mischief rather than money.

Last year German investigators accused a pair of alleged hackers of breaking into the online account of various pop tarts, including Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake, using malware to swipe personal information, private photos, financial details and unreleased songs.

It is unclear if the two investigations are related or not.

The incident highlights the possible risk of personal data being exposed through hacks on webmail accounts or personal technology that is just as much a risk for ordinary people as celebrities. Net security firm Sophos has some tips on minimising the risk of successful attacks at the end of a commentary piece on the reported Hudgens Gmail hack here. ®